IPOH, 2 Feb 2009: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is confident of retaining the Changkat Jering and Behrang state seats in the event of by-elections.

Perak PKR chairperson Osman Abdul Rahman also said that the party would have no problem choosing candidates for the two seats.

“We are confident that the voters will support our candidates because they support the party that fielded them,” he told reporters after chairing the state PKR meeting here today.

The Election Commission (EC) would announce tomorrow whether it would call the by-elections.

Earlier today Perak state legislative assembly speaker V Sivakumar informed the state EC office here that the Behrang and Changkat Jering seats had been declared vacant following the resignation of their respective assemblypersons, Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Jailu.

The two, however, denied that they had vacated the seat, claiming that the letters received by Sivakumar were undated letters of resignation signed in March last year.

Osman said PKR was supportive of Sivakumar’s move to accept the resignations of the two assemblypersons.

He also said that PKR was intact and not affected by the latest political development in the state.

In a related development, Perak Umno secretary Datuk Ramly Zahary said the move by PKR to force the two to resign was unacceptable.

“The people, who voted for them, also have their rights. Why should the party force the assemblypersons, who are elected by the people, to vacate the seat?” he said.

Meanwhile, MIC said the party was prepared to field a candidate in Behrang in the event of a by-election.

Its secretary-general Datuk Dr S Subramaniam told reporters in Sungai Siput that MIC had held the Behrang seat until the defeat of its candidate Datuk M Ramasamy to Jamaluddin in the 8 March general election.